Freight elevator door and transmission device



Nov. 21, 1933. J. BELLER 1,936,102

FREIGHT ELEVATOR DOOR AND TRANSMISSION DEVICE Filed March 1'7, 1932 227/ 20 H 50 S 56 O .19 21 '-2.9 F.

. v 49 I .51 1 J I 1 I I 46 INVENTOR Jasep/r Ee/k/f BY HlS ATTORNEY awwjw Patented Nev. 2 1, 1933 Farmer ELEVATOR noon AND mama'ssion nnvrosThis invention relates to a mechanical transmission device, especiallyadapted for counterweighted bodies or bodies to be moved in oppositedirections as for elevators or lifts, dun1b- -waiters, windows andforfthe freight'doors of elevators." 7

The device consists essentially of a plurality of balls-such as'are usedin ballbearings, arranged in a substantially U-shaped ball runway.

-An-arm is arranged to engage the top of the 1 As column of balls in onebranch of the runway. the balls in" said branch are caused to rise, the

armis =1noved up. When theballs descend the arm is causedby gravity tofollow the balls down. In the application of the device'to freight e1evator doors, another arm is used to engage the top of the column of ballsin the other branch. As the arm engaging the balls in one branchdescends,'the balls rise in the other branch, lifting the arm in contactwith the balls in the latter branch. One arm is fastened to the upperleaf ofthe doors, while the otherarm is fastenedto the lower leaf.- 'Theeffect of thisconstruction is that when-the upper :leaf descends forclosing the door, thelower leaf iscaused torise. Ordinarily leafelevator doors are operated by chains and sprockets. The defects of thiscon- 'struction are well known. The ball drive is not soreadily subjectto breakage as a: chain, nor is it so subject to dislocationand the wearis less. =A-nimportant advantage] of the ball drive for elevators-isthat breakage of the device as a so that the elevator is alwayssupported, as was the case in the old type hydraulic plunger elevator.:It has the advantageover-Lthe plunger type inthat it does not require adeep well in the" ground for the plunger. v V

Other-objects and advantages will-become apparent upon a. further studyof. thedescription and drawing, in which:.- L f Fig. 1 is a partialelevation, vwith part of the "rear sheathing of the upperdoorbroken'away, of the-'freight elevator doors with my transmis- --siondevice looking from within the elevator shaft, the lower pair of doorleaves being in closed-position, while the leaf of the door above is inlowered or open position.

Figx 2 is a partial section to anenlarged scale, taken along the line2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partialsection to an enlarged scale alongtheline 3-3 ofFig. 1..

Fig. 4 is a partial'elevation, to an enlarged scale, showing, the detailof the door handle and switch, the cover :plate 'beingremoved. I

.Fig. l.

shaft 1'? (Figs. land 3-).

ed at 31.-

I issaioz FFECE Fig. 5 is awiring diagram showing the electric controlfor operating the doors.

Fig; 6 .is apartial section, s1milar to Fig.3

with certain parts omitted, form of wheel at My transmission.

showing a modified the bottom of the runway.

device will now be --described as used in connection with freightelevator doors:-Lower leaf 7 and upper leaf 8 of the door are providedwith guide fingers 9 which ride in a vertical guide 10 (Figs. 1 and 2) Asimilar set-:of guide fingers and another guideflis provided, inopposite hand position, for the right hand side of the doors, which, forconvenience, have not been shown in the drawing.

Vertical guides 10 extend for'the height of the elevator shaft, only twofloors Just to one side of guide, 10 is located ball runway 11. Theright 52 being shown in.

hand branch of ru nway 11 extends substantially to the top of leaf 8when in closed position, which is the position shown. in the drawing. ofrunway 11. extends only Located in runway 11,

such as are used in ball-bearings.

stantially channel-shaped The left hand branch to the topof leaf 7.

are a plurality of balls 12,

Each branch wheel 13, is sub- 1 of the flanges ofthe channel being;provided with an inwardly extending lip 14. The use of lip 14 permitsarms 15 and 16 to extend into the runway 11 and at the same time retainsballs '8 12 in the runway.

Sprocket wheel 13 is fixedly mounted on short tatably mounted at one enthe other runway 11, is located moto end in casing 19 (Fig, 3).

'Short shaft 1'7, isrod in strap 18 andat Fixed to which meshes withJust below r 23. The armature shaft 2 of said motor, carries one part 25of a friction clutch feathered thereon. In alignment with shaft 24,-is ashaft 26, upon which is fixed the other part 2'7 0 f the frictionclutch.

Shafts 22, 26 .and 28 are mounted in casing 29 and carry a train ofreducing gears which are within casing ,(not shown) Said train .ofreducing gears, a construction well known to the V art, are sprocket.wheel 13, forobta interposed between motor 23 and ining. a practicaloperating speed for said sprocket wheel.

One end of .bell crank 30 engages a collar on clutch part 25, said crankbeing pivotall-y mount- Spring 32 normallyholds clutch part 25 againstits mateZ'Z, thereby causing shaft 26 to be rotated when any reason it'be desired to motor 23 is running. If'for disconnect the motor 0 drive,bell crank 30 is rotated counter-clockwise, and detent 33 is turned sothat the hook at its end engages and holds bell crank 30 againstreturning under the action of springs 32. 5 When it is desired to openthe door, the operator pushes up on handle 34 of hook 35 (Figs. 1 and 4)and, as will be explained later, a current is sent through motor 23,causing sprocket wheel 13 to be rotated in an anti-clockwise direction.Hook 35 is pivotally mounted on pin 33 fixed to leaf 8. This causes theballs 12 in the right hand branch of runway 11 to rise, pushing up arm16 and leaf 8. As the balls rise in the right hand branch, they descendin the left branch allowing arm 15 and leaf 7 to descend. The upwardtravel of leaf 8 is limited by a stop 36 fixed to guide 10 said stopengaging with arm 16. In Fig. 1, the leaf 7 shown above leaf 8 is fromthe floor above, and is shown in its lowermost position. To close thedoor, strap 37 is pulled down upon, and as will be explained later, acurrent is sent through motor 2 3 in a way to reverse its drive, causingsprocket wheel 13 to be rotated in a clockwise direction. This causesballs 12 in the left hand branch of runway 11 to rise, pushing up arm 15and leaf 7, while the balls in the right hand branch descend, allowingarm 16 and leaf 8 to descend.

Hook and its handle 34, have insulatively 30 mounted upon them, themoving part of a double throw switch 47 (Fig. 4). Terminals 39 and 40 ofswitch 47 are each provided respectively with a pair of contact pins 41and 42, which are adapted by the bead on their ends to remain in con- 35tact with spring terminals 43 and 44 respectively, when handle 34 israised as in opening the door. In a similar manner, when handle 34 ispulled down by strap 37, as in closing the door, terminals 41 and 42 arebrought into contact with spring terminals 45 and 46 and held there.

Fixed to guide 10 is a dog 48. Near the side of leaf 8 are located twocircuit breakers, one above the other. The upper circuit breakercomprises a spring contact 49, a fixed contact 50 both insulat- 45 edfrom leaf 8, and a pivoted lever 51. The tip of lever 51 in contact withspring contact 49 is made non-conducting. In a similar manner the lowercircuit breaker comprises a spring contact 53, a fixed contact 54 and apivoted lever 55 with its 50 tip in contact with spring contact 53 madenonconducting.

The right hand arms of levers 51 and 55 are normally held in horizontalposition by springs 56 and 57 respectively.

55 When it is desired to open the door, handle 34 is pushed up, causingupper pin 41 to engage with terminal 43 and upper pin 42 to engage withterminal 44. This energizes motor 23 causing balls 12 in the right handbranch of runway 11 to rise and those in left hand branch to descend,resulting in leaf 8 rising and leaf 7 going down.

Referring to Fig. 5, engaging the terminals noted in the precedingparagraph, closes a circuit as follows:The current passes through leadwire 58, through branch 59 to terminal 39, through pin'4l to terminal43, through branch 60 to terminal 54, through spring contact 53 whichengages terminal 54 when leaf 8 is in its lowermost position. Fromspring contact 53 the current conll tinues through branch 61 and branch62 through the field F of motor 23, throughbranches 63 and 64 toterminal 44 to pin 42, terminal 40, branches 65 and 66, through armatureA of motor 23 to lead wire 67. This causes motor 23 through the '75train of reducing gears, including bevel gears 21 and 20, to drivesprocket wheel 13 in a counterclockwise direction pushingup balls 12 inthe right hand branch of runway 11. The top ball 12 in the right handbranch, effects the raising of arm 16 and leaf 8. At the same time balls12 in the left hand branch descend allowing leaf 7 to follow by gravity.As leaf 8 rises, pivoted lever 55 engages dog 48, causing said'lever torotate in a clockwise direction. This separates spring contact 53 fromterminal 54, in a manner similar to that shown for spring contact 49 andterminal 50, breaking the circuit thereby through motor 23. The lowerend of dog 48 is so located with respect to pivoted lever 55, that thecircuit is broken before leaf 8 reaches its uppermost position, aslimited by the engagement of arm 16 with stop 36. Though the circuit isbroken before leaf 8 reaches its uppermost position, the momentum of allthe parts concerned will cause it to reach the top.

With the door in open position, it is caused to 5 close by pulling downon strap 37, which causes handle 34 to swing down, bringing lower pins41 and 42 into engagement with terminals 45 and 45 respectively. Withleaf 8 in its upper position, pivoted lever 51 is out of engagement withdog 48, allowing spring contact 49 to make contact with terminal 50.

Referring again to Fig. 5, when lower pins 41 and 42 are moved intoengagement with terminals 45 and 46, a circuit is closed as follows fordriving motor 23 in the opposite direction from that described inconnection with the opening of the door:The current passes through leadWire 58, through branch 59 to terminal 39 through pin 41 to terminal 45,through branches 68 and 63, through field F, branches 62, 69, 70, and 71to terminal 50, through spring contact49, branch 82 to terminal 46. Fromterminal 46 to pin 42, terminal 40 through branches 65 and 66 toarmature A, through said armature to lead 67.

As the door reaches its closed position, hook 35 latches. The slightrotation of handle 34, due to the latching of hook 35, is notsufiicientto throw upper pins 41 and 42 into engagement with terminals43 and 44. I

On the left hand side ofthe elevator shaft (Fig. 1), there is asimilarrunway (not shown) to runway 11 except that no motor drive isprovided for the sprocket wheel similar to sprocket wheel 13. Even asprocket wheel is not necessary 1 5 at the bottom of left hand runway, asmooth surface, as is provided in the rest of the runway, for the ballsto pass in place of the wheel being sufficient.

Instead of having a motor driven door, a manually operated door can beprovided by simply omitting the motor drive and the rest of theelectrical apparatus. In this case, if it be desired to open the door,handle 34 is pushed up, unlatching hook 35. As is usual in elevatordoors of this type, leaf 7 is heavier than leaf 8 so that the door willmove to its open position by gravity when hook 35 is unlatched. To closethe door, strap 37 is pulled down until hook 35 latches, The sprocketwheel is not essential, as noted above, 0 but helps reduce friction.

Instead of using a sprocket wheel from my transmission device, such asthat shown at 13,

I prefer to use a sheave 85 as shown in Fig. 7 instead. There issufficient binding action between balls 12 and sheave 85 at groove 86,to enable said sheave to drive the balls or to be driven'by them.

I claim:

1. An elevator door having upper and lower lower endsya -pluralit'y' ofballsj in said with a-column of balls located-infea'ch branchmeans-"provided fortheupper leaf for engaging thetop-of the column ofballs inone branch and means PIOVlGGdjfGI' the lower-leaf for 'enagingthe top of the column of ballsin the other branch whereby when saidlower leaf "is imove'd down, the balls are moved up'ini thebranchcorresponding to the upperleaf raising therebysaid upper-"leaf andwhenthe upper leaf i's mov'ed down, the balls are moved'up in the branchcorresponding tothe lower leaf raising-thereby the 'lower'leaf.

"2. 'An elevator door having upper and lower *lea'ves suitablymeuntedfor" up and down "motion combination with a ball runway-"havingtwo branches joined at their way, said'wheel engaging the ballsas they pass by "it inthe runway, means, provided for the upper leaf,for engaging the top ballof' one branch and means provided for the lowerleaf for engagthe upper leaf is moved down, the'balls'are'moved ing thetop ballof the other branch whereby when said lower leaf is'move'd down,the balls are moved up in the branch corresponding to the upper leafraising thereby saidiupper leaf, and when up in'the branch correspondingtotheflower leaf,

raising thereby the lower leaf;

7 3. A device as claimed in claim 2"which the rimof thewh'eel isprovided 'witha circum- 'ferentialgroove for gripping the balls,

i4; A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the portion "of the runwayjoining the branches'at their lower ends is substantially semi-circularin form.

'5. "A device as claimed in claim 2 in which the portion of the-runwayjoining the branches at their lower ends is curvedand the wheel isrotatably mounted adjacent said portion of the runway. I I

6. An elevator door having upper and lower leaves suitably mounted uponguides for up and down motion, in combination with a ball runway havingtwo branches joined at their lower ends with a curved portion, aplurality of ballsin said runway with a column of balls located in eachbranch, a rotatably mounted wheel adjacent said curved portion, saidwheel being suitably formed to grip the balls as they pass by it in saidportion, means for engaging the top of the column of balls in one branchprovided for the upper leaf, means for engaging the top of the column ofballs in the other branch provided for the lower leaf, and means fordriving said wheel in reversible directions for raising or lowering theballs in said branches. 7

"I. An elevator door having an upper and a lower leaf suitably mountedin guides forup and down motion, the lower leaf being heavier than theupper, in combination with a ball runway having two substantiallyvertical branches joined at their lower ends, a plurality of balls insaid runway, means provided for the upper leaf for engaging the top ballof one branch, means provided for the lower leaf for engaging the topball of the other branch, and a lockingdevicefor holding the leaves inclosed position, said lower leaf descending by gravity when the lockingdevice is opened forcing down the balls in its corresponddowninotioninconibination with a ball runway having two-branches with ajoining portion at their lower-ends, a plurality of balls in saidrunway, *a rotatabiy mounted wheel adjacent said 'joining'portio'n,said'whe'el being suitably formed t o' grip' the-balls asthey passby itin said portion, --ineans for-engaging the top ball of one branchprovidedfor jthe upper leaf, means for engaging the top ball of theother branchprovided for the lower leaf, electrically operated means fordriving said wheel in reversibledirections, switching means, whensuitably set, for effecting the operation of said electrically operatedmeans to rotate said wheel to. raise the balls in the branchcorresponding to the upper leaf whereby the upper leaf is raised, theballs descending simultaneously in the branch -corresponding to thelower leaf, said lower leaf following down after the balls bygravity anda circuit breaking device actuatedto stop said 'electricallyoperatedmeans when the upper leaf has reached substan'tiallyits operated meanswhen the upper leaf has reached -substantially itslowermost position.

man elevator door having upper and lower leaves suitably mounted uponguides for up and down motion, in'combination with a'ball runway havingtwo branches joined at their lower ends for the passage of balls fromone branch to the other, a, plurality of balls in said runway, arotatably mounted wheel adjacent said runway said wheel being suitablyformed to grip the, balls as they pass by in the runway, means forengaging the top ball of one branch provided for the upper leaf, meansfor engaging the top ball of the other branch, provided for the lowerleaf, electrically operated means for driving said wheel in reversibledirections for raising and lowering the balls inthe branches, saidleaves being raised with the balls in their corresponding branches andfollowing down said balls by gravity when said balls descend-in theircorresponding branches, switching means, depending upon its setting, foreffecting the operation of said electrically operated means to raise orlower the balls in a branch, and circuit breaking devices for stoppingsaid electrically operated means both when the upper leaf has reachedsubstantially'its uppermost and its lowermost position.

11. An elevator door having upper and lower leaves suitably mounted uponguides for up and rso ties

down motion, electrically operated means for' opening and closingthedoor by separating and bringing the leaves together, a latch forlocking the leaves together when the door is in closed position, amember in operative connection with said latch extending down below thebottom edge of said upper leaf adapted when pulled upon to close thedoor and switch mechanism, actuated by said latch, for effecting theoperation of said 111;

electrically operated means to open the door when the latch is openedand to close the door when said member is pulled down upon.

12. An elevator door having upper and lower leaves suitably mounted forup and down motion, electrically operated means for opening and closingthe door by separating and bringing the leaves together, a latch forlocking the leaves together when the door is in closed position, switchmechanism upon the upper leaf actuated by said latch for effecting theoperation of said electrically operated means to open the door when thelatch is opened, and a member attached to the switch mechanism,extending a sufficient distance down below the bottom edge of the upperleaf to enable it to be grasped by the elevator operator when the dooris open, said member when moved by the operator, moving the switchmechanism to effect the operation of said electrically operated nism toeifect the operation of said electrically operated means to close thedoor.

14. An elevator door having upper and lower leaves suitably mounted forup and down motion, electrically operated means for opening and closingthe door by separating and bringing the leaves together, a latch mountedupon the upper 7 leaf having a portion to grip the lower leaf, switchmechanism upon the upper leaf actuated by said latch for effecting theoperation of said electrically operated means to open the door when thelatch is opened, and a flexible strap mounted upon the upper leafhanging down below the lower edge of the upper leaf, adapted when pulleddown to close the door, said strap when pulled upon actuating the switchmechanism to effect the operation of said electrically operated means toclose the door.

15. A mechanism of the character described comprising two bodiessuitably mounted for. substantially up and down motion, a ball runwayhaving two substantially vertical branches joined at their lower ends, aplurality of balls in said runway with a column of balls in each branch,means provided for one body for engaging the top of the column of ballsin one branch and means provided for the other body for engaging the topof the column of balls in the other branch, whereby when the former bodyis moved down, the balls are moved up in said other branch therebyforcing up said other body, and when said other body is moved down, theballs are moved up in the branchcorresponding to said former bodythereby forcing up said former body.

16. A mechanism of the character described comprising two bodiessuitably mounted for substantially up and down motion, a ball runwayhaving two substantialy vertical branches joined at their lower ends forthe passage of the balls, a plurality of balls in said runway with acolumn of balls in each branch, means provided for one body for engagingthe top of the column of balls in one branch, means provided for theother body for engaging the top of. the column of balls in the otherbranch and a rotatably mounted member entering the runway, intermediateof the ends of the runway, said balls being engaged byvsaid member andpassing by'it in a direction substantially at right angles to its axisof rotation.

JOSEPH BELLER.

